lördag 4 april 2009

Saturday with Gutenberg

0THE CARPENTER BENCHThe carpenter equipment must be a "sure-enough business affair," and the tools real tools — not toys.The Sheldon bench shown here is a real bench in every particular except size. The tool list is as follows:Manual training hammer.

18 point cross-cut saw.9 point rip saw.Large screw driver, wooden handle.Small screw driver.Nail puller.Stanley smooth-plane, No. 3.Bench hook.Brace and set of twist bits.Manual training rule.Steel rule.Tri square.Utility box — with assorted nails, screws, etc.Combination India oil stone.Oil can.Small hatchet.0Even if this book was printed in 1918 it reminds me a lot of the years I went to kindergarten in the fifties.0

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We too played "shop" and it looked pretty much as in this picture. I haven't been around preschool kids in many years, and wonder if they play supermarket today?

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Next find was a book by Rosa Nouchette Carey (1840-1909), "Not Like Other Girls". I have the book in Swedish and have always wanted to read the English original text, as it is such a poor translation. Now I noticed that my version is shortened — and it seems to be done with a rather heavy hand. The books first paragraphs are not translated which I think is a pity. Maureen wrote the other day about opening lines, so here is my contribution — I think it is most appropriate on this blog.

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Five-o’clock tea was a great institution in Oldfield.

It was a form of refreshment to which the female inhabitants of that delightful place were strongly addicted. In vain did Dr. Weatherby, the great authority in all that concerned the health of the neighborhood, lift up his voice against the mild feminine dram-drinking of these modern days, denouncing it in no measured terms: the ladies of Oldfield listened incredulously, and, softly quoting Cowper’s lines as to the “cup that cheers and not inebriates,” still presided over their dainty little tea-tables, and vied with one another in the beauty of their china and the flavor of their highly-scented Pekoe.

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"Afoot in England" by W.H. Hudson has no illustrations but never the less it makes me want to pack my backpack and leave for the south of England. It made me spend more time than I had searching the net for information and photos from the places mentioned.0

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And as I began to show interest she went on to tell me that Branscombe was, oh, such a dear, queer, funny old place! That she had been to other villages and towns—Axmouth, and Seaton, and Beer, and to Salcombe Regis and Sidmouth, and once to Exeter; but never, never had she seen a place like Branscombe—not one that she liked half so well. How strange that I had never been there—had never even heard of it! People that went there sometimes laughed at it at first, because it was such a funny, tumbledown old place; but they always said afterwards that there was no sweeter spot on the earth.

0I don't read many novels but I happened to open "Gala-days" by Gail Hamilton (1833-1896) and was hooked after reading the first paragraph. I checked the printing year and was very surprised to see that it was printed in 1863.

I haven't been over in too long, Margaretha. I always, always want to leave for any part of England. I feel, and have felt for ages and ages, that it is my true home. Just the names are poetry to me. Thank you for this posting. I loved it.

So many interesting things in this post, Margaretha! And so many little side-trips it inspires me to take. At Lake Chautauqua in western New York I've had a cottage for nearly 30 years. It was built in the late 1870s and I've collected old books for it, ones I thought the earlier owners might have read. I have some Carey, but never heard of Gail Hamilton, so I'm looking at Gala-Days....And I love reading about England, even though I've only been there twice........

Nan,My problem is that I feel at home in so many places that I'm always "homesick" for the place I'm not.I love New England and would go there every fall if I could - but I would also see much more of the English country side. And Switzerland, and Scandinavia and......

Kristi,It's a bit sad to think of all forgotten authors - and some of them were probably never well known in their lifetime either. All these thoughts - and all the work behind a book! I'm so glad that it is possible to find at least some of those books.I always find it fascinating to read books from other countries - especially if it is a country where I've been and I can picture what I'm reading about.Don't you miss your cottage? I don't think I could give up mine.Margaretha

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It is easier to say what and who I'm not.— I'm not my profession— I'm not my salay— I'm not my age— I'm not my illness— I'm not my civil statusSo who am I?— a person just the right size and age— an untidy pedant— a conservative radicalAnd what do I do?— weave— read— listen to music, classical preferably baroque